2026 -- H 7007

========

LC003125

========

     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026

____________

A N   A C T

RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- MAIL BALLOTS

     Introduced By: Representatives O'Brien, Shanley, Solomon, Dawson, Biah, McEntee,
Noret, Read, Azzinaro, and Corvese

     Date Introduced: January 07, 2026

     Referred To: House State Government & Elections

     (Secretary of State)

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Sections 17-20-6.1 and 17-20-9 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-20 entitled

"Mail Ballots" are hereby amended to read as follows:

     17-20-6.1. Alternative methods of voting by citizens covered by the Uniformed and

Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) and other citizens residing outside the

United States. [Effective December 31, 2025.]

     (a) It is the intent and purpose that the provisions set forth in this section are designed to

facilitate the federal mandate of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act

(UOCAVA), 52 U.S.C. § 20301 et seq.

     (b) The Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) may be used as a request for an absentee

ballot by:

     (1) A member of the armed forces who is absent from the state by reason of being in active

service;

     (2) Any person absent from the state in performance of “services intimately connected with

military operations” as defined in § 17-20-3(d);

     (3) Any person who is employed outside of the United States as defined in § 17-20-3(c);

and

     (4) Any person who does not qualify under subparagraph (1), (2), or (3) above, but who is

a citizen of the United States and absent from the state and residing outside the United States as

described in chapter 21.1 of this title.

     (c) The single FPCA card shall permit the person to request an absentee ballot for each

primary and election through the next general election for federal office or for the time period

specified by federal law in which the voter is eligible to vote.

     (d) The FPCA card must be received by the local board of canvassers where the person last

maintains his or her residence for voting purposes within the time frame for applying for absentee

ballots as set forth in this title.

     (e) If the FPCA, when used in accordance with this section, is sent by the voter through

electronic transmission, it must be sent to the secretary of state and it must be received by the

secretary of state by the deadline for applying for absentee ballots as set forth in this title. The

secretary of state shall then forward the FPCA to the appropriate local authority who shall

immediately certify and return the FPCA to the secretary of state with the notation that the

corresponding ballots shall be sent by mail and electronic transmission. The secretary of state shall

transmit ballots only to the facsimile number provided by the Federal Voter Assistance Program.

     The secretary of state shall approve electronically transmitted ballots to and from eligible

voters only through a service or solution that meets the following requirements:

     (1) The system has had one or more independent security reviews;

     (2) Demonstrates the system meets the National Institute of Standards and Technology

(NIST) Cybersecurity Framework guidelines or federal cybersecurity framework guidelines of a

successor designated federal agency or organization; and

     (3) Approved by the secretary of state.

     The ballots sent by electronic transmission shall be returned to the state board by electronic

transmission. These ballots will be counted at the state board in accordance with rules and

regulations promulgated by the state board.

     (f) The voter’s signature on the FPCA does not need to be witnessed or notarized, when

the FPCA is submitted as provided in this section.

     (g) If a voter is casting a mail ballot received through the use of the FPCA card as provided

in this section, the voter’s signature does not need to be witnessed or notarized on the certifying

envelope used for the return of the voted mail ballot.

     17-20-9. Application to be placed on the permanent mail ballot application list.

     (a) A voter, by signing an application, may request that a mail ballot application be sent to

the voter automatically for every election. The application and instructions shall be prescribed by

the secretary of state, and furnished upon request to any elector by each local board of canvassers.

The envelope containing the mail ballot application shall be clearly marked as not forwardable. If

any elector is no longer an eligible voter the elector shall notify the local board of canvassers of

LC003125 - Page 2 of 4

this fact. The local board shall remove the name of any voter from the mailing list established under

this section upon receipt of reliable information that a voter no longer qualifies for the service. The

voter shall be notified of the action within five (5) days after the board takes the action.

     (b) The application and instructions prescribed in this section shall be mailed to the

applicant along with a stamped return envelope addressed to the local boards of canvassers. The

secretary of state may process applications pursuant to this section through the online mail ballot

application portal established by § 17-20-2.3.

     (c) [Deleted by P.L. 2025, ch. 231, § 1 and P.L. 2025, ch. 232, § 1.]

     (d) The secretary of state shall maintain a list in the central voter registration system of all

voters who automatically receive applications for mail ballots, pursuant to this section.

     (e) [Expires December 31, 2025.] Eligible disabled voters shall be entitled to electronically

receive and return their mail ballot, using the same electronic transmission system as that used by

voters covered by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). This

electronic process shall satisfy the federal Rehabilitation Act, section 508 concerning accessibility

standards.

     (f) [Expires December 31, 2025.] For purposes of this section, “eligible disabled voter”

means a person with disabilities eligible to vote who is incapacitated to such an extent that it would

be an undue hardship to vote at the polls because of illness, mental or physical disability, blindness,

or a serious impairment of mobility.

     (g) Eligible disabled voters shall be entitled to electronically receive and return their mail

ballot, using the same electronic transmission system as that used by voters covered by the

Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act. (UOCAVA). This electronic process shall

satisfy the federal Rehabilitation Act, section 508 concerning accessibility standards.

     (h) For purposes of this section, "eligible disabled voter" means a person with disabilities

eligible to vote who is incapacitated to such an extent that it would be an undue hardship to vote at

the polls because of illness, mental or physical disability, blindness, or a serious impairment of

mobility.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

========

LC003125

========

LC003125 - Page 3 of 4

EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- MAIL BALLOTS

***

     This act would allow eligible disabled and military voters to continue to utilize

electronically transmitted ballots as originally enacted in 2022.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

========

LC003125

========

LC003125 - Page 4 of 4